


The Santa Clause

by sanserifnotes (tuesdayafternoon)



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Christmas, M/M, Santa Claus - Freeform, kid!Arthur, kid!Merlin
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 21:35:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3091115
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuesdayafternoon/pseuds/sanserifnotes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Every kid needs to visit Santa Claus at least once – them’s the rules. Arthur’s seven years old, and still has never been to see Santa before. Merlin wants to change this.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Santa Clause

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt, "Here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus lane" for [merlinchristmasfest](http://merlinchristmasfest.tumblr.com/). Also available on [my blog](http://sanserifnotes.tumblr.com/).

_It was the afternoon before Christmas, and in the lounge room of the Emrys’ house, two little boys sat by the tree, conspiring in a whisper as quiet as a mouse._

“What do you mean, _never_?” Merlin asked, wrinkling his tiny nose in honest confusion. He shook his head, making the bell on his elf hat jingle.

“Don’t you know what ‘never’ means?” Arthur replied, tapping one of the baubles on the Christmas tree to watch it bounce, then looking over his shoulder to see if anyone had caught him. No one had, so, careful to still be gentle, he did it again.

“Of course I know what ‘never’ means, Arthur,” Merlin said. “I’m not an idiot. But how come you’ve never gone to see Santa and sit on his knee and tell him what you would like for Christmas before?”

Arthur watched the Christmas lights flash, trying to time it right so that when they came on, he tugged on the end of his Santa hat (the one that Merlin had made him wear) so it was kind of like his hat had magical powers to turn on pretty coloured lights. “Father says that those Santas are just ordinary people in a suit,” he mumbled. “Besides, he says he’s too important to waste his time watching spoiled brats being rude to their parents.”

“But you haven’t been rude to your dad, have you, Arthur?” Arthur shook his head, and Merlin kept going. “See? That’s okay then! You’ll be in Santa’s good book! And besides…” Merlin stood up, tugging at Arthur’s arm and leading him to the door, “..I already know that the Santa at Santa Claus Lane is only the real Santa’s helper. I _am_ nearly six, you know.” He nearly toppled over trying to tug on his wellingtons.

Arthur scuffed his feet along the ground, but pulled on his gloves and hat. “I dunno. My father says that I’m too big to be sitting on his lap. I might squish Santa’s knee.”

“Naw, you won’t squish Santa,” Merlin said confidently, jumping up to take his and Arthur’s coats from the stand. “I saw _Percy_ sitting with Santa, and he’s seven, like you Arthur!”

“Oh, okay.” Arthur still wasn’t quite sure about this, but decked out in his winter gear and with Merlin already carefully climbing down the snowy front steps, he didn’t have a lot of choice. Besides, he _had_ always wanted to visit Santa Claus, so he closed the door behind them and grabbed the back of Merlin’s shirt to stop him from falling.

When they finally got to ground level, Merlin didn’t waste any time. He grabbed Arthur’s hand, because they were supposed to hold hands when walking outside, and trotted them both over to the path to begin the two-block journey to the local shopping centre. By the time they stepped through the doors into the atmosphere of soft-playing Christmas music, excited children in their favourite Christmas jumpers, and awesome decorations, Arthur was cold but Merlin was no less excited. Keeping his firm grip on Arthur’s hand, Merlin led Arthur through the crowds of people, took him past the statue of a reindeer –

(“Say hello to Rudolph, Arthur,” said Merlin, patting the plastic of the reindeer’s leg.

“Hullo,” muttered Arthur.)

– and followed the signs that led to Santa Claus Lane.

Arthur’s mouth dropped open at the sight in front of him. Two elves in pointed hats looked at them as they wandered over onto the red carpet, but he didn’t really care. On a golden throne in between a huge sack of presents and a roaring electric fire, and at the end of the giant candy cane-lined path, sat Santa. He was smiling kindly at the small, dark-haired girl sitting on his knee, and, although Arthur couldn’t hear what he was saying to her, by the way the little girl looked so happy in her whole face, Arthur could tell his words were just as kind.

“Come on, Arthur!” Merlin said, pulling on Arthur’s hand to lead him to the end of the line of children waiting. “The line’s this way!”

Waiting felt like _forever_ to Arthur, even if the elves did come by and give he and Merlin each a candy cane. Merlin immediately began to eat his, and it looked so delicious and yummy that Arthur ate his too, even though he knew his father would say that he’d get cavities. Soon, though, all the children in front of them, standing with their parents, had their turn and they were next.

“You can see Santa now,” said one of the elves, and Merlin marched up the few stairs to Santa’s throne.

“Hi Santa!” said Merlin, thrusting his hand out for Santa to shake. “I’m Merlin.”

Santa blinked down at them, surprised. “Hello, my dear boy,” he replied, taking Merlin’s hand in his own larger one. “Would you like to sit on my knee?”

Merlin shook his head. “Nope! I came and saw you last week. I asked for a nice, new scarf and a pretty dress for my mum!” He tightened his hand around Arthur’s, pulling him forward. “I brought my friend Arthur, but, cos he’s never visited you to tell you what he’d like for Christmas before!”

Santa turned to Arthur, frowning. Arthur looked at his feet. “Is that right?” Santa asked. “Well, Merlin, perhaps you’d best go stand over there a minute…” he pointed towards a large wrapped present near the way out, “..while I have a word to Arthur. Is that alright?”

“Yup! Thank you, Santa!” Merlin took himself right over and sat where he was told to sit.

Santa lifted Arthur up to sit on his lap with a groan. Arthur froze. “Am I squishing you, Mr Santa?” he asked.

Santa laughed. “No, Arthur, you’re not squishing me.”

That voice. Arthur recognised it from somewhere. It sounded almost exactly like – “Mr Gaius?!” Arthur patted the beard that most certainly wasn’t Mr Gaius’s real one. His father’s friend didn’t even _have_ a beard. “I didn’t know you were Santa’s helper!”

Mr Gaius smiled. “Yes, I suppose I am.” He turned very serious very quickly, though. “Arthur, where’s your father? Is he here?”

“No.” Arthur shook his head. “Father’s at work. I’m staying with Merlin and his mum until he’s finished.”

“Is Ms Emrys here?”

“Merlin’s mum is called Hunith, silly,” Arthur said, smiling. “She said she would be in the laundry.”

Gaius looked over Arthur’s head at the crowd of people in front of him, looking at all the people there. “She doesn’t know you two are here?” He frowned, and Arthur shook his head. “Oh dear.” Mr Gaius waved his hand at an elf, who rushed to his side, and he began to whisper in her ear. When he was done, he looked at Arthur and said, “You know, Arthur, you should never leave the house without telling an adult where you’re going. You could get lost or hurt, and we wouldn’t know where to find you.”

“Oh.”

“Hunith is probably worried sick about the two of you.”

“Oh. I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry.”

The elf had begun to talk quickly on her mobile phone, and Mr Gaius stared at her for a minute before looking over at Merlin, who was quite happy in the midst of all the Christmas things. He looked at Arthur again, but didn’t say anything.

“Excuse me,” Arthur interrupted the quiet, as politely as he could, “but don’t I get to tell you what I’d like for Christmas, so you can tell Santa?”

“Erm…” Arthur watched him carefully with steady eyes. The elf began to walk forwards and backwards across the floor. “Yes, what would you like for Christmas, Arthur?”

“Hmm.” Arthur thought for a minute, swinging his legs. “I’d like some toy soldiers. And a day off for my father, cos he works very hard, even on Christmas. I won’t even get to see him tomorrow.” He looked down sadly.

“I see,” said Mr Gaius slowly. “Well, I’ll see what Santa can do, about your toy soldiers and a day off for your father. But I can’t promise anything, Arthur. It’s up to Santa himself, remember.”

Arthur nodded, about to tell Mr Gaius how he knew his father was an important man and that he didn’t mind staying with Merlin and Hunith, because they had lots of fun, especially when they made cookies and Merlin licked the spoon and gave Arthur the bowl. Except, right at that moment, there was yelling and footsteps, and suddenly there were four policemen in uniform rushing towards Santa Claus Lane, with one plain-clothed person in the middle who Arthur recognised. Arthur’s face lit up.

“Father!” he exclaimed happily, waving and jumping off Mr Gaius’ lap.

“Arthur!” Father shouted.

“Inspector Pendragon,” said Mr Gaius, standing up.

Father stopped and raised an eyebrow. “Santa,” he said. Arthur took the chance to hug Father around the legs.

Father took Arthur by the shoulder and knelt down to look him in the eye. “Is Merlin here too?”

Arthur nodded.

“Arthur…” Father got a very angry look in his eyes then, and Arthur could tell he was going to be yelled at.

But then, in a very small voice, Merlin said, “Excuse me, Mr Pendragon? Is Arthur in trouble?” He came to stand beside Arthur.

“Yes, he is,” said Father.

“Is it because we came to see Santa?” asked Merlin.

“Because you came by yourselves, without an adult, without telling anyone, yes.”

“Oh.” Merlin looked at his hands. “It was my idea. I thought Arthur might like to see Santa, cos he’s never been before. I’m sorry, Mr Pendragon.”

“Inspector, if I may,” Mr Gaius said before Father could say anything else. “Perhaps you could go easy on them both, since it’s Christmas and your son won’t be seeing you tomorrow?”

Father gave Mr Gaius a very funny look. “Well, ahem, I suppose as long as they realise that what they did was wrong, and that they shouldn’t do it again, I could, erm…”

“Sorry, Father,” said Arthur. He stared up at his father guiltily.

“Well,” Father said, clearing his throat, “maybe this once, if it’s okay with Hunith, you two could spend some time at the precinct with me this evening.” Mr Gaius was nodding his head slowly.

“Ooh, that sounds like fun!” said Arthur, and Merlin agreed.

Hunith said it was okay, and they rode in the police car to the precinct where Father worked. They got to sit in Father’s chair, and have their fingerprints taken, and they ate some doughnuts with the other police officers. A while after it became dark outside, and after it began to snow, Merlin felt tired and went to sleep on the floor under Father’s desk. Arthur wasn’t tired at all, though, not when everything here was so exciting, and he was getting to see his Father on Christmas.

The next thing he remembered, though, was being picked up into his father’s arms and carried to Hunith’s car. Father buckled him into his booster seat, kissed him on the forehead and whispered, “Goodnight, my son. Merry Christmas.”


End file.
